One of the main motives for a small-scale mechanized agricultural system is to prevent soil compaction by heavy machinery. The biggest problem that requires attention is the harvest and transportation of the product. The cultivation of crops such as sugar beet, potatoes, onions and carrots, results in yields of up to 100 tons per hectare or more. The harvesting equipment in which the product is buffered in the harvester and emptied at the headland weights up to 45-55 tons. An alternative is harvesting equipment with a small bunker, which unloads more often. Unloading more often results in more transportation activities across the field.
In all scenarios this results in large weights per wheel, which has consequences for the soil compaction. The high weights effect the deeper subsoil and damage the top soil.
In a fixed traffic lane (CTF) system, both the harvest and the transport unit must travel along the fixed lanes. This impacts the harvest and transport equipment requirements. The challenge in this work package is to design the harvesting system based on the design requirements from the Modeling Work Package (WP1). The outcome will be translated into a design for harvest and transport equipment and in which autonomous vehicles are integrated.